Rustam Minnikhanov meets first-year students of the Innopolis University

On October 13, at the Innopolis University, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov had a meeting with the best first-year students of the University. Students from Russian regions, as well as from Spain, India, France, Nepal and other countries took part in the meeting.

"I am sure that you are at the right place, because the University is results-oriented.  The level of selection of students is very high, and taking into account the tasks we are setting today, the university is the backbone. It should be a powerful and large Russian IT centre. Then you will be able to choose where to realize your potential. All conditions have been created for this purpose, including a beautiful educational building, places for living. This facility will develop, but the most important thing is that it features a qualified team of teachers from both Russia and abroad,” Minnikhanov said.

During the meeting, students asked Minnikhanov their questions. For example, a student from Spain asked him who came up with the idea of ​​establishing Innopolis and who named the city.

According to Minnikhanov, the idea of ​​creating such a site appeared after a trip to Singapore. After introducing electronic services in the republic, there was a need for the development of the IT sphere at the regional site, he said. The technopark in the sphere of high technologies “IT park”, launched in Kazan in 2009, was the first project. Then the same site was set up in Naberezhnye Chelny. Minnikhanov continued that Nikolai Nikiforov, who was the Minister of Information and Communication of the republic at that time (now he is the Minister of Communications and Mass Media of Russia) played an important role in establishing Innopolis.  Minnikhanov also said it was Nikiforov, who came up with the name of the new city.

"We asked our Singapore colleagues to develop a master plan for Innopolis. I consider the University of Innopolis to be the most important and popular project among those projects that we have implemented. I am sure that here you will get the knowledge and skills which will allow you to be competitive," he said.

Answering the question from a Nepalese student, Minnikhanov told the meeting about further development of Innopolis. According to him, the city is designed to accommodate about 150,000 people, 60,000 of them are IT specialists. Tatarstan President added this project is one of the priorities for the republic.

He also stressed that oil production, petrochemistry, and machine building are the basis of the economy, but drivers are also needed and the IT sphere is such a driver. 

Students from Kazan, Perm, Croatia, Nepal and others also asked their questions. Minnikhanov told them about mechanisms for supporting start-ups. He also gave an errand to deliver a lecture for students of the University of Innopolis about measures available in the republic to support IT start-ups in the near future.